The present application relates to a communication method, an information processing apparatus, and a recording medium recording a computer readable program.
In recent years, there have been widely used information processing apparatuses carrying out wireless communication using a frequency hopping spread spectrum such as IEEE 802.15.1 (also called “Bluetooth” (registered trademark)). For example, when a communication technology of the frequency hopping spread spectrum such as IEEE 802.15.1 is used, communication can be carried out in the range in which radio waves arrive, even in a case where an obstacle is present between apparatuses. For example, IEEE 802.15.1 or the like is used for communication between a cellular phone (which is an example of the information processing apparatus) and a headset (which is an example of the information processing apparatus) to realize hands-free conversation or for communication between a PC (Personal Computer, which is an example of the information processing apparatus) and an operation device such as a keyboard. Moreover, when the communication technology of frequency hopping spread spectrum such as IEEE 802.15.1 is used, power consumption for communication between information processing apparatuses can be reduced, compared to a case where another communication technology is used. Thanks to these advantages, there have been widely used the information processing apparatuses capable of carrying out wireless communication using the communication technology such as the frequency hopping spread spectrum such as IEEE 802.15.1.
In the wireless communication network where the plurality of information processing apparatuses described above are used, one information processing apparatus organizing the wireless communication network serves as a master apparatus and the other information processing apparatuses serve as slave apparatuses to carry out wireless communication. Here, the master apparatus refers to an information processing apparatus that is in charge of determining a frequency hopping pattern related to communication in the wireless communication network, for example. The slave apparatus refers to an information processing apparatus that makes synchronization of the frequency hopping pattern determined by the master apparatus to carry out communication in the wireless communication network or the like. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a star-type wireless communication network N10 is realized by a plurality of information processing apparatuses in such a manner that one information processing apparatus of the plurality of information processing apparatuses serves as the master apparatus and the other information processing apparatuses serve as the slave apparatuses, as described above. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a star-type wireless communication network. FIG. 1 shows an example of the wireless communication network in which an information processing apparatus 10A serves as the master apparatus. Information processing apparatuses 10B to 10D serve as the slave apparatuses.
A technology has been developed to add a new information processing apparatus as an information processing apparatus organizing a wireless communication network to the wireless communication network. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-117656 discloses a technology capable of selectively adding the information processing apparatus as an information processing apparatus organizing the wireless communication network by authenticating the newly added information processing apparatus by use of a multi-hop technology.